John i



IMPROVEMENT 1N PofrATo-DIGGER The Schedule referred to in these'i'etters' Patent-and making part f theaame.

To`all whom it ma/y concern Be it known that I, JOHN I. BmimERHoFF, of Au-' a perspective view of my potato-digger.

The nature 4of m y invention consists in constructing a potato-digger, in the manner hereinafter described, and furnished with a sernieircular bar of metal, the ends of whiclrare pivoted to said handles, and intended to answer the twofold purpose of acting as a fulcrum, to

support the prongs of the digger in a'horizontalposi-v tion, and also of allowing a lateral inotionto the prongs,

-to sift out the dirt from the potatoes.

In the accompanying drawingb `b b represent the prongs of thedigger,` which `are permanently fastened' tothe 'cross-bar C.

D I) represent the two guards, attached to opposite ends of bar C, and designed 'to prevent the. dirt and potatoesvfrom escaping at the sidesof the digger.

Behind the bar-O is secured the beam E, which will prevent the dirt and potatoes from falling out at the back of the digger, when said digger is raised to a hori i zontal position.v

Tothe outside of the guards D D.'the handles FIF are secured.

G represents a semicircular bar of metal, the ends of which are pivoted tothe .inside of the handles H H.

In operating my machine, it will be seen that when the prongs b b b are placed in a position to penetrate the potato-hill, the bar G will lie on the surface of the earth, and then, by elevating the handles F F, the bar G will assume a perpendicular position, and answer as a fulcrum for raising the digger to the height required to sift .out the dirt from the digger.

The sifting-process can -be carried by two motions, lirst, a side, and, secondly, an up-and-down motion,

which will speedily separate t he dirt from the potatoes.

It will .be seen, that owing to the circular forni of the bar G, the potatoes caribe discharged to the right o r left, by elevating one or the other of -the handles,as the case may be.

Having thus described my invention,

.What I claim-as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' 1. The semicireular barG, or its equivalent, when attached and operated substantiallyin the manner and for the purpose hereinv set forth. i

2. The combination ofthe bar G, with handles F F, when constructed and Operated inthe manner described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I aiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:4 JOHN I. BRINKERHOFE.

HORACE T. COOK, ILV'. QUICK. 

